Sink mounting tool



Aug, 1, 1961 H. K. SWITZER SINK MOUNTING TOOL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledJune 27, 1958 INVNTOR.

ATTOEIVEY5 Aug. 1, 1961 H. K. SWITZER SINK MOUNTING TOOL 2 Sheets-Sheet'2 Filed June 27, 1958 United States Patent 2,994,127 SINK MOUNTING TOOLHarold K. Switzer, Trapp Court, Alexandria, Ky. Filed June 27, 1958,Ser. No. 745,024 3 Claims. (Cl. 29-200) This invention is directed to atool for attaching lugs to a trim strip in order to mount a flat rimsink or lavatory bowl in a counter top. Lugs and a trim strip of thetype for which the tool is designed are disclosed in my Patent No.2,858,548, granted November 4, 1958.

As disclosed, the trim strip is substantially T-shaped in cross sectionto provide a head for spanning the opening between the rim of a sinkbowl and the counter top to which the sink bowl is affixed, and adepending flange which extends down into the space between the sink andthe counter top. The lugs are substantially L-shaped, providing a baseleg which engages the underside of the counter top and an upright legwhich engages the underside of the sink rim. The lug is secured to thevertical flange of the trim strip by deforming and clinching over aportion of the lower edge of the depending flange so that it hooks intoa notch provided in the lug.

At the time the edge of the flange is being deformed and clinched over,it is necessary to apply a downward force on the flange to pull the headof the trim strip down tightly against the top of the drainboard and thesink rim, and at the same time apply an upward force upon the lug toengage it snugly against the underside of the drainboard and the sinkrim. The holding force of the lug' once it is in place is directlyrelated to these forces applied by the tool at the time of installation.Hence, it is exceedingly important that these forces be applied in apositive manner and that the forces utilized on all lugs in aninstallation be identical so that rippling of the top the sink trimstrip is avoided.

The tool of this invention is designed with these things in mind, and itaffords a means of rapidly and eificiently applying the lugs. Althoughthe invention is disclosed in conjunction with a hand operated tool, itwill be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that the tool maybe powered by means such as compressed air, an electric motor, orhydraulic pressure, if desired.

In general, there are two methods commonly used in the assembly of asink bowl, a trim strip, and a counter top. In one of the assembliesnormally utilized in a manufacturers plant the three components areplaced upside down compared to their positions when installed in akitchen. In this method the tool is used with the lug deforming andclinching head down. The second method is commonly used when the countertop is already in place in a kitchen and the sink bowl is to beinstalled. In this case the tool is used with the swaging head up. Thetool operates equally well in either method, and it has the addedadvantage that in the second method it can be used easily in the smallspace available under the usual kitchen sink.

More specific objectives and advantages of the tool will be readilyapparent to those skilled in the art from the following description ofthe drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the tool showing, the swaging head ofthe tool engaging a trim strip flange just prior to securing a lug inplace;

FIGURE 2 is similar to FIGURE 1, but showing the top portion of the toolonly as it would appear after securing the lug;

FIGURE 3 is a front elevational View of the tool on a smaller scale thanin FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional, diagrammatic view taken alongthe line 44 of FIGURE 3, showing the pivotal path of the swaging beak ofthe toolthrough Ice the lug slot, permitting engagement with the trimstrip flan e;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 ofFIGURE 3 showing the tool ready for operation;

FIGURE 6 is similar to FIGURE 5, but showing the tool gripping the trimstrip flange; and

FIGURE 7 is an fragmentary elevational view illustrating therelationship between the sink, swaged trim strip, and the connectinglug.

The action of the tool may be most simply described with reference toFIGURE 4. This view discloses a flat rim sink 1 mounted within anopening in a drainboard 2, and having a sink trim strip 3 of generallyT-shaped configuration interposed between the sink and the drainboard.When utilized with the aforementioned assembly, said assembly beingdisclosed in my Patent No. 2,858,548, granted November 4, 1958, thepresent invention provides a quick and inexpensive means of mountingsinks by providing a means for simultaneously gripping and pullingdownwardly on the depending vertical leg or flange 10 of the trim strip3, supporting and forcing the connecting lug 4 upwardly, and deformingand clinching a part of the lower edge of the trim strip flange throughthe connecting lug slot 31.

FIGURE 1 discloses a preferred embodiment of the tool in which it can beseen that the tool may generally be described as comprising six parts:an elongated base member 5, a clevis assembly portion 6, an operatingslide portion 7, a retaining jaw portion 8, a swaging beakportion 33,and an operating arm 9.

The generally rectangular base member 5, which serves only as a supportfor the tool, has an upper portion of rectangular configuration and alower portion gradually tapered to form a smaller width at its lowerend.

Retaining jaw portion 8 comprises two pairs of members being rigidlymounted on the face of the upper section of base member 5, namely, tworectangular vertical backing members 12 and two shoulder guide members13. Vertical backing members 12 have beveled upper surfaces 14 tofacilitate the guiding of the depending vertical leg 10 of trim strip 3into operational slots '15. These operational slots are defined by theinner faces of the aforementioned backing members 12 and the oppositeinner teeth of circular gripping teeth members 16. Shoulder guidemembers 13 are extended to form guide flanges 17 which extend outwardlyfrom said shoulder guide members 13 being parallel to the faces ofbacking members 12. The inside faces of said guide flanges, togetherwith the outside faces of shoulder guide members 13 and retainingsprings 19 act as a guide for the two parallel, rectangular, slidablymounted operating rods 18.

When the tool is in the inactivated position, as disclosed in FIGURE 5,two activating screw members 48, one of which is horizontally threadedthrough each of the two guide flanges, engage their hardened, roundedtips 50 in activating notches 49 which are located in the face of eachof the operating rods 18. As long as the tool remains in the inactivatedposition, retaining springs 19 press from their recesses 51 in the faceof support member 5 and hold the operating rods 18 away from backingmembers 12 so as to engage their activating notches 49 with tips 50 andat the same time form operational slots 15 into which the lower leg oftrim strip 3 depends.

As disclosed in FIGURE 6, when the operating rods are moved downwardly,tips 50 are cammed out of notches 49 and press against the faces of theoperating rods, causing skirts 21 of the circular gripping teeth membersfixed to the top portions of the rods to be moved inwardly and againstthe face of the depending leg 10 of the trim strip located inoperational slots 15. As the operating rods are further moveddownwardly, skirts 21 grip and bite into the depending trim strip leg,pulling downwardly and tightening the upper horizontal T portion of trimstrip 3 flush against the upper surface of the sink and drainboard. Thegripping skirts also holdthe leg of the trim strip during the deformingand clinching process. Should notch 49 or tip 50 become worn or shouldthere arise any other reason for adjusting the inwardly grippingmovement of the gripping skirts, screw members 48 may be adjustedinwardly for this purpose.

Operating slide portion 7, among other elements, comprises paralleloperating rods 18, the upper portion of each rod being capped with anaforementioned circular gripping teeth member 16. These circulargripping teeth members are formed of hard, circular caps, dependingoutwardly and downwardly from raised center portions 20 which are theheads of threaded screw members 23. The lower circumference of the capsform sharp-edged skirts 21, the lowest periphery of which form sharp,circular gripping edges, the circumference of these edges being greaterthan that of the largest circle that could be inscribed on therectangular tops of the operating rods so that only a small arc of saidcircular gripping edge extends over the center of each edge of the topof the operating rods. To insure a larger gripping are being exposedover the inner face of the operating rods, a recessed portion 22 isprovided in the upper, inner faces of the operating rods. The grippingteeth members are mounted on the aforementioned operating rods by meansof threaded screw members 23. The exposed screw heads 20 ofscrew members23 provide a means for rotating the gripping cap so that when theexposed arcs over the inner, recessed faces of the operating rods becomeworn or damaged, the screw heads may be partially turned to present afresh gripping are for operational contact.

The main body of the operatingslide portion is formed by the twooperating rods 18; an upper 24 and lower 25 horizontal yoke; anoperating bar 27; two equal sources of constant and predetermined springforce 26 being located on either side of the operating piston andbetween the upper and lower yokes; and two connecting shafts 28. Asdisclosed in FIGURE 5, connecting shafts 28 .are circular and areslidably mounted through the upper yoke 24 to the bottom of theoperating rods so that yoke 25 may slide downwardly along said shafts.The lower portions of connecting shafts 28 are fixed to lower yoke 25 by.connecting nuts 29 which abut the lower face .of lower yoke 25. Theupper portion of operating bar 27 is enlarged to form a shoulder 30which abuts the upper face of upper yoke 24 so that when .the tool is inthe inactivated position spring forces 26 press against the oppositeinner faces of the two yokes holding the lower yoke 25 down against theshoulders 30 and 32 formed respectively by the enlarged upper portion ofoperating .bar 27, and the lower portionof the rectangular operatingrods 18.

The swagingbeak portion33 which is disclosed i-n EIG- URE 4 is comprisedof an operating strap 34; a pivotally mounted lever arm 35 ;andadeformingand clinching beak 38. The upper portion of operating strap 34is eccentrically and pivotally mounted to the upper portion of lever arm35 by connecting pin 36. Lever arm 35 is pivotally mounted on pivotalpin 37, between the inside faces of shoulder guide members 13. Operatingstrap 34 is fixed to the upper portion of the operating piston by meansof operating pins 40. When the operating piston is moved downwardly, theattached operating strap acts .to pivot the upper portion of lever arm35 downwardly, at the same time pivoting the lower portion of said lever.arm, from which deforming and clinching beak 38 protrudes upwardly.When depending leg 1% of-the trimstrip and connecting lug 4 arepositioned as indicated in FIGURE 4, the aforementioned pivotal actionwill causeuthetde-i forming and clinching beak to pivot up throughconnecting lug slot 31, engage the lower portion of thedependingfrimstrip leg and continue through the connecting lug slot, deformingand clinching the trim stripleg through the 4 upper portion of theconnecting lug slot 31 as disclosed in FIGURE 7. It should be noticedthat swaging beak 38 protrudes from lever arm 35 at a point just abovethe lower portion of the lever arm, leaving a shoulder 39, so that whenit is desired to remove a connecting lug that has been swaged, the toolmay be operated to an extreme position so that the swaging beakover-travels, causing shoulder 39 to follow the swaging beak through theupper portion of lug slot 31 and wipe oif the deformed and clinchedportion of the trim strip leg, releasing the lug.

Attention is directed to FIGURE 1 where clevis assembly portion 6 isdiscloesd as comprising a clevis 41, a pair of journal brackets 42, anda connector block 43. Journal brackets 42 are fixed onto base member 5by means of journal bracket mounting pins 44, these brackets serve topivotally mount the clevis between them on mounting pin 45. The lowerportion of operating piston 27 is threaded into connector block 43 andpivotally joined to the clevis by means of clevis pin 46. Operating arm9, equipped with handle 47, is mounted eccentrically and rigidly to theunderside of the lower portion of the clevis. Operating piston 9 acts asa long moment arm, and when it is swung outwardly and upwardly away frombase memher 5, it pivots the lower portion of the clevis upwardly andoutwardly with considerable force, at the same time pivoting the upperportion of the clevis inwardly and downwardly.

As the upper portion of the clevis moves downwardly, attached operatingbar 27 is moved in the same direction. The downward motion of theoperating piston initiates two other movements; operating strap 34immediately begins pivoting deforming and clinching beak portion 33, andat the same time shoulder 32 on the operating piston abuts the upperface of upper yoke 24 and forces it to slide downwardly along connectingshafts 28 through lower yoke 25. The downward motion of the upper yokecauses spring forces 26 to be compressed between the downwardly movingupper yoke and the stationary lower yoke. Since lower yoke 25 is onlyslidably mounted to the operating piston and is fixed to operating rods18, through connecting rods 28 and connecting nuts 29, it initiallyresists movement due to the fact that activating notches 49 in theoperating rods are engaged with tips 50 .of screw members 48. As theupper yoke proceeds downwardly, it increases the compression of springforces 26 until such time .as the force transmitted to the upper face ofthe lower yoke 25 by means of the spring forces exceeds the forcetending to hold the lower yoke in a stationary position, at which timethe lower yoke begins to move the operating rods downwardly.

As disclosed in FIGURE 6, when the operating rods are lowered, they arealso cammed inwardly against the force of retaining springs 19 by thecombined action of the tips of screw members 48 and activating notches49. As the operating rods move inwardly and downwardly, gripping skirts21 bite into the trim strip flange 10, pulling it downwardly and holdingit firmly in the path of .the pivoting deforming and clinching beakwhich operates between .the two gripping skirts.

It should be remembered that equal spring forces 26 are of predeterminedconsequence, the summation of these forces being an equal and oppositeforce to ithe force actually exerted by the two gripping skirts againstthe trim strip flange. It should-be emphasized that :the continuouspivoting of the swaging beak commences immediately upon the downwardmovement of the operating piston while the grippingskirts are notactuated until the force exerted downwardly on the lower yoke exceedsthe inertial forces acting on that same member. This important lostmotion feature allows the same motivating. component, namelytheoperating piston, to operate simultaneously both the deforming andclinching beak andthe gripping skirts even though the action of the Whenthe operation of the tool is completed, the operating arm is swung backdown to its original, inactivated position effectively pivoting thedeforming and swaging beak back to its original posture and at the sametime eifectively raising the attached upper yoke 24, which in turnreturns the operating rods to their inactivated positions. When upperyoke 24 is raised, the spring forces are relieved from the pressureformerly exerted by the aforementioned upper yoke and are free toexpand.

In the particular embodiment of the invention disclosed in FIGURES 1through 7, the tool is disclosed as being utilized in a situation wherea sink is being installed in a mounted drainboard. This type of assemblyrequires that the tool be used under the drainboard in an uprightposition, with the head of the tool at the upper end making operationalcontact with the work, and the operating arm and handle dependingdownwardly. The small size of the tool makes it particularly adoptablefor this type of confined work.

Although not illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the tool is alsoadoptable to shoproom assembly wherein the sink and trim strip areplaced upside down on the floor or other support member so that theopening of the sink is face down, and the drainboard is then laid aroundit. When the tool is used by a fabricator performing this type ofoperation, the tool is utilized in a position directly inverse to theone disclosed in FIG- URE 1, that is, the head is now at the lower end,and the operating arm at the upper end. This type of assembly ispreferred by most fabricators because visibility and working space areat optimum conditions; however, particular replacement situations andtransportation requirements often dictate the use of the less popularmethod.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A tool for mounting a sink in an opening in a counter top by means ofa trim strip and a plurality of mounting lugs, said trim strip beingT-shaped in crosssection to provide a head to span the space between therim of the sink and the counter top and to provide a vertical flange todepend into the space between the rim of the sink and the counter top,each of said lugs being L-shaped to provide a substantially horizontalleg to engage the underside of the counter top and a substantiallyvertical leg to engage the underside of the sink rim, each of said legshaving an apertured portion coextensive with the juncture of said legs,said tool comprising a base member, means at the upper end of said basemember defining a slot which is in a vertical plane extendingtransversely of said member, said slot dapted to receive said verticaltrim strip flange, a beak, means pivotally mounting said beak adjacentto the upper end of said base member, means for swinging said beak in anare which is in a plane normal to the first named plane from a positionat one side of the first named plane through said first named plane to asecond position in which it projects beyond said first named plane, theupper end of said base member including means to seat said lug with theaperture therein coextensive with the arc in which said beak is adaptedto swing and with the vertical leg of the lug at the side of said slotat which the beak resides in its first named position whereby said beakruptures a portion of said flange and clinches said flange through theapertured portion of the vertical leg of said lug.

2. A tool according to claim 1, in which at least one wall of said slotis provided with means to removably grip and exert downward pressureupon said trim strip flange within said slot, said gripping means beingoperable upon the pivoting of said beak to firmly hold said flange inthe path of said are made by said beak.

3. A tool according to claim 1, in which said base member is elongated,said means for swinging said beak in an arc comprising; a clevis, ahandle portion and an operating arm, means journalling said clevis forrotatable movement on said base member, said handle portion being fixedto said clevis to rotate said clevis, said operating arm having a lowerend pivoted to said clevis, said operating arm having an upper endpivotally connected to said beak, said handle portion and said operatingam being parallel to said elongated base member.

Greenfield July 15, 1919 Kroier Oct. 24, 1944

